Primary source images are great resources for integrating language arts with social studies. The activities below were designed around the grade 1 Common Core State Standards for writing. These first-grade writing prompts and activity ideas build on the kindergarten writing prompts and activities. Text Types and Purposes Grade 1 Writing Standards Writing Prompts / Activity…
Primary source images are great resources for integrating language arts with social studies. The activities below were designed around the Kindergarten grade-level Common Core State Standards for writing. Text Types and Purposes Kindergarten Writing Standards Writing Prompts / Activity Ideas 1. Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose opinion pieces in which…
![Civil rights march on Wash[ington], D.C.](https://primarysourcenexus.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/bloomswritingprompts.jpg)
Remembering List the different shapes you see. How many people do you see? How many __________ do you see? List all of the objects that start with the letter “___”. Circle all of the people with _______. List all of the __________ that you see. What makes them different or the same? Understanding Estimate how…
Engage students with a real-world activity that has them learning about U.S. history while adding to the collective American memory. This project allows students to learn and use interview and digital presentation skills to discover, elicit, and relate the stories of local veterans and others who contributed during times of conflict. To complete this project,…
Collective action can lead to change. “The basic functional requirements of a social movement,” according to Herbert W. Simons, Emeritus Professor of Communication, Temple University, “are an ability to mobilize human and material resources, to exert external influence, and to mount resistance to counter-pressures.” [1] In this primary source learning activity, students will examine the tactics supporters of…
Use image and textual details to describe the purpose of this poster. Use the Primary Source Nexus search box to find out about the sinking of the Lusitania. What did you find out? What surprised you the most or had the biggest impact on you? The audience for this poster was the Irish—Irish men, in…
Have students use the primary sources in this set to tell a story about the period 1929-1945. At the depths of the great depression, which followed the stock market crash in October 1929, over one-quarter of the American workforce was out of work. But President Franklin D. Roosevelt instituted a variety of “New Deal” programs and told…
Have students use the primary sources in this set to tell a story about the period 1900-1929. The Progressive Era was one of economic growth and prosperity but also one in which many worked to make American society a better and safer place through environmental, business and government reforms. The story about this time of…
Activity overview Close reading is an opportunity to read and reread thoughtfully and with purpose. By breaking down the analysis of texts and other primary sources into distinct chunks, you can increase rigor and help students more easily climb the staircase of complexity required by the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). In this primary source…
The plan today had been to post a CCSS-aligned primary source activity focused on close reading of images and texts but input from a great group of teachers at a professional development session necessitated a blog detour. So, instead, we’ll share a close reading markup strategy remix and resource list. Keep in mind that close…
George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt were monumental men who made significant contributions to the United States. Through the lens of both primary and secondary sources, students learn about the characters and contributions of these presidents and determine for themselves the qualities and accomplishments that make someone worthy of a lasting tribute. To…
George Washington and Abraham Lincoln are two of the most famous U.S. presidents. This project helps students to learn about these presidents through the lens of both primary and secondary sources. Students will also investigate different types of primary sources, learn how portraits are created to convey information, and consider their own presidential potential. To…